Haga County’s Shibuichi Town, which was once famous in Japan for its giant pandas, is now trying to break away from its dependence on the “panda economy” and explore traditional tourist resources such as hot springs and beaches. However, this process is not going smoothly.
According to a report by the Japanese newspaper The Mainichi Shimbun on August 2, when all four giant pandas at the local theme park "Adventure World" returned to China at the end of June last year, the tourism industry in Shiobara City was impacted. Shiobara City Mayor Kōhei Okada said that the departure of the pandas was "shocking," but it also made the local community realize that they had been too dependent on pandas in the past.
On June 1, 2026, a statue of a giant panda mother and child stood in front of Bai Bin Station. The Daily News.
Four giant pandas from the 'White Breeze Adventure World' returned to China due to the expiration of the Sino-Japanese giant panda breeding cooperation project, ending a 30-year 'panda era' in that region.
After bidding farewell to the panda, Baimin Town quickly changed its direction. A month later, the town government removed the panda-themed signs from the town hall, so as to prevent tourists from mistakenly thinking that there were still giant pandas in the area. At the same time, the local area plans to introduce a lodging tax to fund tourism projects and hopes to reestablish the image of being a "thermal spring hometown".
Dai Jiang said that Hakuba hopes to ‘return to the roots’ and re-examine its development history as a hot spring resort. The local area also plans to renovate old public baths and create a new hot spring landmark by drawing inspiration from the famous ‘Hot Spring Field’ landscape of Kusatsu Hot Springs in Gunma Prefecture.
However, the transition did not go smoothly.
The Bailiang Coastal Beach Annual Coffee House, which opened in August 2025, had its operations suspended in June due to changes in the operating company. The person in charge of the operating company stated that although sales were good during the summer, there was a decrease in tourists in autumn and winter, making it difficult to make a profit. The project then had its operator changed, and the cafe reopened in July.
Although Bai Bin hopes to downplay the "panda label," the connection between Bai Bin and the giant panda still remains. The panda statue, which was originally planned to be removed at Baibin Station, was decided to remain after receiving requests from many tourists who wished to keep it.
A local hotel manager also said that although the sales and variety of panda souvenirs have decreased, they are still popular among tourists because they have become scarce.
The report admits that even if the goal of the town is to get rid of dependence on pandas, it doesn’t seem easy to erase the memories that fans have of these animals.
